


The Heart Resides

by Cumberbatch Critter (ivelostmyspectacles)



Series: Fe!MC/Ryuji named their son Goro and this is their story [23]
Category: Persona 5
Genre: Children, Established Relationship, Friendship, Gen, Genderswap
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-11
Updated: 2018-03-11
Packaged: 2019-03-29 20:52:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,068
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13935168
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ivelostmyspectacles/pseuds/Cumberbatch%20Critter
Summary: Ann returns from her trip to America, and brings young Goro back souvenirs. Phantom Thieves souvenirs.





	The Heart Resides

**Author's Note:**

> LET THERE BE FLUFF, said Pan. Well, not exactly in so many words but the prompt was adorable so there IS FLUFF

“Ann-tee!!!”

“Hey, Goro-chan!” Ann smiled, sweeping him off of his feet and into her arms. “It’s been awhile!”

“Ann.” Akira stood in the doorway, a little surprised and _happy_ to see Ann at their door. “I thought you weren’t coming until tomorrow!”

She beamed, pecking a kiss against Goro’s cheek. “I got in earlier than I expected tonight and had some free time. Sorry if it’s not a good time?”

“No, it’s fine. Come in, you must be exhausted. You look _good._ America treated you well?”

“Uh huh.” She nodded, setting Goro down as she stepped into the entry. “Yeah, it was fun. Glad to be back, though.”

“Hey, who’s here– Ann??”

“See you haven’t changed at all!” she laughed, putting her hand on her hip. “Couldn’t you be a little more polite?”

“I thought you weren’t back yet?!”

“I can go, if you want,” she joked, jerking her thumb towards the door.

Akira hummed a laugh, gesturing them both into the sitting room. “Take it easy, both of you. Tell us about your trip! I want to hear everything.”

Ryuji caught their friend in a one-armed hug, trying to mess up her hair. “Yeah, welcome back.”

“Ryuji! Get off of me!” she laughed.

“Where’s my gift?” Goro asked suddenly. He’d gone ahead to the sofa, seated impatiently on the very edge.

Akira groaned. “Goro, that’s not polite.” Sojiro had been _spoiling_ their son, lately. “Just because someone comes over doesn’t mean they have something for you, dear.”

“Actually,” Ann said slowly, and laughed when Akira whipped her attention around to her. “I mean, I had to buy souvenirs, right. I got something for everyone.”

“Oooh, even me?” Ryuji teased, flopping onto the sofa next to her. “What’d you get me? Lemme see it, come on.”

 _“Ryuji,”_ Akira said fondly. Between Sojiro’s spoiling and Ryuji’s example… not that she could really be upset.

“Do you want yours or your _son’s_ first?”

“Mine!!” Goro shrieked, and Akira resigned herself to the further spoiling of her son. She sat down on the other side of Ann, humming as she started to rummage through her bag.

“You still like the Phantom Thieves, Goro-chan?”

“Yeah!!”

Another fond smile. There was a lot that they couldn’t tell their son about the Phantom Thieves– namely, their involvement with them. The fact that they _had_ been the Phantom Thieves. Obviously, that wasn’t something that they could share. But neither were they going to make themselves out to be… _bad_ , so… if they had been, occasionally, telling Goro bedtime stories of the _illustrious Phantom Thieves_ , well.

They were good bedtime stories. Altered for a child’s mind, of course, and adding a little superhero flair… they were Goro’s favorite stories, now.

One day he’d learn the truth, Akira suspected. One day, they would tell him the truth. But today? Today Goro thought they were superheroes.

“I found some stuff in a thrift store in Chicago,” Ann said. “I was looking for stuff for a particular theme we had at a shoot, but then I found this.” She pulled out a sweatshirt, bright colors with red, black, and white. A familiar logo splashed across the front of the small shirt and then…

“The Thieves!!” Goro said, and held out his hands. “A shirt!”

Ann laughed, handing the sweatshirt over. “I thought you might like it, Goro-chan! I think it’ll be a little bit big, but…”

“Dude, are they still making those things?” Ryuji leaned forward, taking the sweater. “What the hell?” He turned back to Goro, helping him slide his arms and head through the designated holes.

“You know, I don’t think they are. It looks a little… older, right?” Ann shrugged. “It’s probably from our– from the big boom years ago.” She lowered her voice, looking at Akira. “I think it was just a normal sweater that shrunk, but it looked almost Goro-sized so I bought it, anyway.”

“He loves it,” Akira said, grinning as Goro clumsily pushed the long sleeves up. “Mention the Phantom Thieves and he’s all over it.”

“Yeah! I’m gonna be a hero, just like them!” Goro exclaimed, and the three adults shared a look with one another. The one fault of telling Goro that they had been superheroes, even if they hadn’t been.

They didn’t want that for him. They _wouldn’t_ have that for him.

But, again, for now, dreaming was okay. That’s what kids should be allowed to do.

“Huh.” Ryuji tugged the hemline down. It fell down to almost Goro’s knees. “You know what you gotta do before you can do that, though, right?”

“What?”

Ryuji grinned, all childish playfulness himself. “Eat your vegetables!!”

“Nooo!” Goro retorted, and scrambled away from the sofa and his father to take off running. “I’m gonna go get my books to show Ann-tee!”

“Books?” Ann leaned forward. “What kind of books?”

“There’s cats in them. Mona likes them!”

“Oh yeah. That’s cool! Let’s see ‘em.”

“I’ll help,” Ryuji said. “You’re gonna trip over that shirt.”

“I am not,” Goro retorted, taking Ryuji’s hands as they headed for the staircase. “Not so long.”

“Yeah right.”

Akira chuckled, sinking back on the couch. “Thank you. He’ll thank you in a bit, too.”

She shrugged. “He’s a kid, he’s not worried about that stuff.”

“Still.” She looked over at Ann, tanned skin and hair that looked lighter for it. “It’s good to have you back, Ann.”

She flopped back against the cushions, too. “Yeah. It’s been a long time. I’ve missed home. I mean, well, you know what I mean. It’s _weird_ being over there when I’ve been here, when all the big stuff has happened here? School and the Thieves, Goro-chan…” She nodded. “Yeah, it’s good to be back.”

“Home’s where the heart is, huh?” Akira said, and Ann nodded.

“God knows my heart isn’t going to be anywhere else after everything that happened!” Ann replied. “Couldn’t escape if it I wanted. Not that I want to.”

“Ann-tee! Look at books with me!”

“Annnnd here he comes,” Akira laughed. “Hope you’re prepared to look at cat pics over and over again.”

She smiled, tilting her head as her hair fell into her eyes. “Yeah, didn’t you hear me just say I missed it?”

An eye roll and a slight shake of Akira’s head. “You might regret that,” she stage-whispered, and they were both laughing as Goro came running in with a bundle of books in arm.


End file.
